Now that all that snow has melted and the poor, bruised daffodils are bravely smiling up at the sun, it must be time to plan your summer fun! 

Here at Holly Stoppit Towers, Beccy, my wonderful workshop co-ordinator and I have been plotting and planning a summer of laughter and learning just for you! Whether you're a newbie clown, wanting to tentatively dip your toe into our upside-down world or a seasoned idiot, wanting to top up your comedy tool kit, we've got just the thing for you:

1.) As we're currently swamped with applications, we've decided to squeeze in one more Introduction to Clowning Weekend in June. This course offers a foundation in my unique training and will enable you to apply for my summer schools.

2.) ***Update*** We got so many applications for the June weekend, that we've put on one more introduction to clowning weekend at the end of June.

3.) Brand new for 2018 is the 5-day Comic Storytelling Summer School. We'll be wending our way through non-verbal storytelling, verbal impro and stand up!

4.) Back for the 4th year running is the ever popular 5-day Fooling Summer School. We're going to run 2 of these, as the groups are limited to 8 people and we have a sneaking suspicion that there'll be more than 8 people interested in doing it...

5.) We're premiering yet another new training week this summer. Assembling Your Inner Cast is advanced Fooling training for those who've completed my 5-day fooling course and want to take their fooling practice to the next level!

Here's a bit more info about each workshop and links to booking forms:

Introduction to Clowning Weekend 

These courses are limited to 12 people and always book up quick. 

“It's a course rooted in the craft of clowning but also takes an in-depth analysis of who we are and what we bring - in a very nurturing, supportive way. It is soothing and challenging and beautifully designed and implemented.” -Previous Introduction To Clowning participant

• Dates: Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June 2018
• Times: 10am-6pm both days
• Venue: St Werburghs, Bristol
• Deadline has passed, but still accepting applications for reserve places
• Facebook event: click here
• Read all about Introduction To Clowning and find links to application forms here.

• Dates: Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July 2018
• Times: 10am-6pm both days
• Venue: St Werburghs, Bristol
• Deadline has passed, but still accepting applications for reserve places
• Facebook event: click here 
• Read all about Introduction To Clowning and find links to application forms here.

Comic Storytelling Summer School

Come and saturate yourself with stories, exploring non-verbal, improvised and autobiographical comic storytelling. You need to have completed Introduction to Clowning to attend this course.

• Dates: 28 May - 1 June
• Times: 10am-6pm
• People: 12 maximum
• Venue: Central Bristol
• Deadline for applications: Monday 16 April
• Facebook event: click here
• Read more about Comic Storytelling and find links to the application form here.

Fooling Summer School

Come and meet and play with the cast of characters who normally live inside your head through 'fooling', an incredible solo improvisation form. You need to have completed Introduction to Clowning to attend this course.

“Holly, thanks for making the space so safe and inviting us to be so brave. I hide it, but I find it so difficult in groups and this showed me it doesn't always have to be! Fooling was a really special experience for me that I will cherish always!” -Previous participant

• Dates: there are 2 x 5-day Fools Summer Schools this year: 
• 6-10 August Facebook event: click here
• 13-17 August Facebook event: click here
• When you get to the application form you'll be asked to select which date(s) you want to attend. 
• Times: 10am-6pm each day
• People: 8 per course
• Venue: Central Bristol
• Deadline for applications: Friday 8th June
• Read more about Fooling Summer School and find links to the application form here.

Assembling Your Inner Cast - Advanced Fooling Training

This training is adapted from Beyond The Ridiculous company training last Autumn. It's for a very small group of only 6 people. You'll be guided through an exploration of your inner cast of characters, with the intention of finding more confidence and stability in your improvised performance.

• Dates: 27-31 August 2018
• Times: 10am-6pm each day
• People: 6
• Venue: Central Bristol
• Deadline for applications: 7th July
• Read more about Assembling Your Inner Cast and find links to the application form here.

P.S If you're wondering what happened to the 5-day Clowning Summer School that was scheduled for 27-31 August, we didn't get many applications by the deadline, so we decided to go with the energy that's alive and offer the advanced Fooling Training instead. No doubt Clowning Summer School will be back again next summer!